Trips to the Salon
by LovelyNocturna
Summary: Who would've known that her annual trips to the salon for a haircut would make a huge impact on her life, as well as his.
1. Natural

Rachel Rionna Harper—the daughter of Chelsea and Will Regison—a hard working farmer in Echo Town who day in and day out worked her butt off to restore the ghost town to its former glory. She was a pretty thing and unlike most of the girls who live in the town, she didn't wear makeup. Neither did she dress up in anything more than a long sleeve shirt and a pair of overalls. Everyone thought she didn't care about how she looked, and she didn't. Well, that all changed when _he _moved into town.

His name was Allen Reeves. A man who could always be found with a confident smirk glued to his lips. None really liked his attitude. They didn't know him like she got know him. When they first met, she immediately thought that she would hate the man. But who would've known that her regular trips to the salon for a haircut could change that?

* * *

"Can't get enough me can you?" He said with a devilish look on his face. With his long, slender fingers he pushed his black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose then led Rachel over to an empty red leather chair.

"Trust me, if there was another salon I'd be gone in a heartbeat." She mumbled while he draped a long piece of cloth over her to cover her lower body to prevent getting hair all over her.

"Ouch, a sweet girl such as you should never say such hurtful words." He pretended to feel hurt. Having a hand placed over his heart and the back of his other hand up against his forehead. For the first time, he heard her giggle. He found her giggle to be cute.

They didn't say anything for a few minutes. She sat there in silence as he worked his magic with a pair of scissors. He would catch her staring at him through the mirror before she would bashfully look away. How could he not find her actions cute? Then he spoke up.

"For someone as cute as you, you're pretty strange." Looking back through the mirror, both of their blue eyes met.

"Is that bad?" He chuckled. She was adorable.

"No not at all." To him it was a nice change of pace considering most girls always followed the same trends of makeup and fashion. It was boring. To him they were all the same. He took a moment to take in her features. She had such pale skin. It made her look so young—not like she wasn't already. Her blue eyes appeared to be so gentle and those long, black eyelashes made her eyes even lovelier. The heavenly soft, golden hair of hers made her seem like an angel. But out of everything, he loved her natural beauty. He loved how she wasn't afraid to not wear makeup. She pulled off beauty the natural way and not many people do that nowadays but instead abuse the power of makeup to get attention, to be noticed, to be accepted.

"Am I done?" Allen snapped out of his thoughts. He had forgotten he stopped working to admire her looks.

"Yes, I have no doubt in my mind you'll be pleased with the result." Back to his cocky self. He removed the cloth and all of the strands of blonde hair fell to the floor before being swept up by Allen.

* * *

**A/N: _I hope to make this into a series. Just about, you know, "trips to the salon." My goal is to build up a story past the child birth event.  
_**

**_If you have any suggestions for one of Rachel's tales, you may see your name in the next chapter or future ones! __  
_**


	2. Uncle Vaughn

(Dedicated to XVY's suggestion)

* * *

When did it happen? When did she start opening up to him? She couldn't seem to remember. It just happened without her knowing it. She could remember, however, the way he multitasked. He cut her hair while following her story, listening to every word.

On one of her visits they got into a talk about their childhood.

* * *

"Thanks for the haircut, Allen!" Michelle giggled, waving to him on her way out the door. She was too busy looking at him that she almost ran smack into Rachel. "Oopsies, sorry Rach." Then out of sight she was.

Rachel walked up to the counter and peered over. Allen was bent down organizing the hair products he had hidden in the shelves. To get his attention she rang the bell that was placed by the cash register. She then heard a thump sound come from underneath.

"Frru…" She heard a grumble come from him that sounded awfully close to a certain "F" word. He stood up with a hand rubbing the top of his scalp and glared at Rachel before regaining his composure.

"Aww, did someone get a boo-boo?" She teased and Allen rolled his eyes. When she saw him smirk she knew that he was going to make a cocky reply. He leaned in close.

"Yes and I need someone to kiss it and make it better." Rachel turned away trying to hide her slightly burning cheeks.

"Well you better go look somewhere else!" Chuckling he then led her to the empty chair in front of the mirror and began working on her hair like usual.

Silence, that's all there was. From how he looked in the mirror, he seemed so focused on cutting her hair perfectly and precisely. Judging on how he works, Allen was probably the type that stressed over any type of mistake he made no matter how small it may be.

"Just like mom…" She whispered, but her whisper was not as quiet as she thought.

"What was that?" They locked eyes through the mirror. She was pondering whether to tell him or not. Her decision was decided by his questioning eyes.

"I was just thinking about my mom, she was a farmer you know?" The mirror revealed to him the smile that was slowly inching its way onto her lips. He continued to trim her hair, slowing his movements to let her know he was listening. "She was always easily stressed. When she was, she and dad would take me to the beach."

"Did you become a farmer because of your mother?" Rachel took a moment to think about it.

"No," Allen was a bit surprised. If she didn't, then who did inspire her to become a farmer? "My 'uncle' Vaughn was the one who convinced me to become a farmer."

"Was he a farmer?" She shook her head.

"He was basically the cowboy version of Neil." Allen chuckled at the way she described her 'uncle.' "My mom was always busy on the farm so Vaughn would let me hang out with him while he worked. When he didn't have customers he would show me the animals and teach me how to properly care for them."

He wanted to hear more, but his work was complete. She noticed he was done and pulled out her wallet, but he stopped her.

"It's on the house for entertaining me today." She smiled._  
_

* * *

**A/N:**** XVY: Thank you, I'm so glad you've enjoyed the first chapter. Also Rachel's tales can be anything! It can even be turned around and can be Allen's tales! I hope to improve with this story. I thought it was about time for me to contribute more to the Allen fan base on Fanfiction. I pray that this chapter was to your liking. **

**Leave suggestions for stories for either Rachel or Allen to tell and maybe you will see your name in the next chapter or future ones!**


	3. Rod

(Suggestion by Xx-Angel-Sherubii-xX on DeviantArt)

* * *

She had been all over the world. Not many knew she had, it was rare for her to tell anyone of it. Her father came from a rich family. Will wanted to help Rachel find her dream farm, so he took her all over the world to find the perfect spot for his little princess. No she wasn't spoiled. In fact, this was the only time he actually used so much money. Because of him, she was able to be in Echo Town.

However that took up most of her social life. It was a price she was willing to make, but sometimes she questioned if it was really worth it. That's why she was envious of Allen. He had grown up with a friend, something she was never able to do.

* * *

It was pouring down rain. She could hear the droplets hitting the window.

Not many liked the rain like she did. It gave her peace of mind. It gave her time to think. Her favorite thing to do on rainy days was to watch romantic comedy anime, not the perverted ones but the overly cute ones. But she didn't like the rain on days like this. It was the day of her haircut. Her haircut would be ruined the moment she stepped foot out into the rain.

Her eyes scanned the pages of one of the magazines she had found sprawled out on the coffee table. It was hard for her to not listen in on Allen and Rod's conversation. Rod was being as talkative as ever, not that it was a bad thing. But it seemed like Allen could do with a little bit less of it.

"Stop moving or I'll cut off too much." Rod calmed down a bit. He had so much unused energy on rainy days.

"Sorry," Allen put down his scissors and removed the cloth from around Rod's neck. He swept up Rod's orange hair while the energetic boy pulled some money out from his wallet. "Looks great, Al. See you later!" With a smile, he left.

"I thought he would never stop talking." The red-head sounded annoyed. He led Rachel over to the chair. She could see his smirk in the mirror. "Well now at least I have my favorite customer." Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You know that nickname Rod gives you is cute." Her eyes must've been mistaken because she thought she saw a hint of pink in his cheeks.

"I wish he would stop with that." He said, beginning to cut off strands of blonde hair.

"Why? I wish I had a best friend who would call me stupid, but cute nicknames." Allen opened his mouth to say something, but Rachel interfered. "And no, Michelle doesn't count. She gives everybody nicknames." He closed his mouth.

"Do you not…?" He was afraid to ask. There were still some things about this girl he didn't fully quite understand. He wanted to be careful with what he said around her, because knowing him he always managed to say something he didn't mean. He stopped cutting for a moment to wait for her answer or to see if she would answer.

"No," She avoided making eye contact with him. He slowly started to cut again, feeling a sad atmosphere around him- no, around her. The rain made it worse. He didn't like seeing the farmer so depressed. It was the first time he had seen her in this state. So he did something rare.

"I used to play with Rod out in the woods on rainy days like this." He opened up to her. Rachel immediately looked at him in the mirror. He continued to cut, he didn't look at her. He was slightly embarrassed to open up to her after only knowing her for such a little time. "He was so clumsy and a crybaby. Sometimes I wonder what he would do without me." She found it cute that he smiled at that memory. "There was this one time where Rod had a crush on my little sister Lillian. I nearly killed him."

'I never knew he had a sister.' She thought.

This was her longest haircut appointment to date. She didn't mind it. When she left his salon, the sun was out to greet her.

* * *

**A/N:Thank you Winter Oak for reviewing the last chapter! Your words gave me motivation to continue with this series. Also to clarify Allen's family, Allen's parents are Skye and Jill. Since Skye's kids can basically have any hair color in DS Cute. I've always thought that Allen and Lillian would make cute siblings! **

**L********eave suggestions for stories for either Rachel or Allen to tell and maybe you will see your name in the next chapter or future ones!**


	4. His Father

Chapter 4: His Father

Suggestion by emilybruce13 (from DeviantArt) 

* * *

Many said they could live without that cocky attitude of his. Rachel, however, found his attitude refreshing. Everywhere she looked there was always a nice person, but it was hard to tell if they were faking it. She didn't care if he teased her and made smart remarks.

She found herself wondering why he was letting her know more about his past. It seemed that he never told anyone except Rod. Was it because she revealed so much to him or that he actually wanted her to know more about him? Either way she felt special.

* * *

He had gone to the bathroom, leaving her alone downstairs. She had never really had the chance to explore his salon after he moved in. Magazines, books, and comics (for the kids) filled the bookcase. When she looked up she noticed something she had never seen before. Climbing the shelves she reached up and grabbed the object that was on top of the bookcase. Taking a closer look she realized it was a picture. It was picture containing three people; a woman, a boy, and a girl.

She could hear footsteps coming from the stairs and in a panic she quickly put the picture back where it belonged and did her best to make it look like she did nothing the entire time.

"Sorry to keep you waiting princess." He went straight to work cutting her hair, not ignoring how she acted when he came downstairs. "You were acting quite suspicious might I say."

"Oh, was I?" Her head was facing the mirror, but her eyes weren't. Allen didn't realize that until he looked up, and followed her eyes to the bookshelf.

"I never thought anyone would notice that old thing." He said calmly, eyes focused back on cutting her hair. "I wouldn't have gotten mad if I saw you looking at it, it's not really that important to me." Why did it sound like he was lying, she wondered.

"Was that you in the picture?"

"Yes, back when I was about eight or nine. I can't really remember."

"And the other two people. Is the little girl Lillian and the other your mom?" Their eyes met in the mirror, Allen nodded. "Where's your dad?" Before she got an answer, Allen placed his scissors on the counter with all the other hair products and tools. It appeared to be a delicate subject. Removing the cloth from around her neck, she stood and followed him to the register. Talk about an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry if I asked too much." She mumbled, giving him three-thousand gold for the haircut. He didn't answer. Rachel slowly walked to the door looking over her shoulder to see him placing the money into the cash register. When she placed her hand on the door knob, he spoke.

"I'll tell you another time. It's personal." She felt more at ease. She wouldn't pry any further; instead she would wait for him to tell her.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for reviewing and giving me some criticism Strikey-Chan! I've taken your words to heart and have fixed all the chapters. By the way, I'm going to warn you now that this story is going to continue to get more fluffy and cheesy. Don't blame me, blame Allen! His lines are just over the top romantic (well when you date/marry him). **_**Not to mention dirty.**_

**You'll understand why I have him and Lillian as siblings later when I continue this suggestion in the future~!  
**

**However I'm not really sure on my Rachel's character. I never do well on character's that don't really have an obvious... you know... personality/traits. I don't know how to explain it, but I hope you get what I'm saying. So I'm sorry if that she seemed a bit Mary Sue-ish. I'm kinda morphing her as time goes on to fit certain stories. Anyways, I really appreciate your review!**

_**Feel free to leave suggestions for stories for either Rachel or Allen to tell! You may see your name in the next chapter or future ones!**_


	5. Jealousy

Chapter 5: Jealousy

Suggested by Purilliana (from DeviantArt)

* * *

Normally Allen wouldn't show how possessive he was, unless of course he was courting a girl. He had only been possessive of his little sister, simply because he didn't want her to be hurt. It was one day when Rachel brought up one of her encounters with a certain male did it actually show. And she noticed it too.

She didn't notice what that jealousy truly meant until later on.

* * *

"Why in goddess's sake are you covered in so much dirt?" Allen questioned, an eyebrow slightly raised. Rachel removed her boots to prevent any mud from getting on the floors and left them by the doormat. She knew if she kept them on she would be yelled at by the red-headed man. Everyday Rachel dealt with getting down and dirty. Except she always managed to keep her clothes mostly clean, but today was different.

"Well… it's a long story." She said scratching her blond head and taking a seat in the red leather chair, ready for her annual haircut.

"I think you have enough time to explain." With those words, she was forced to give him a rundown of what happened while he cut her hair.

"My cow, Masqurade, had a baby today. So Neil was over to help." The mention of Neil didn't please his ears, not that he didn't like the tsundere-like boy it's just… thinking of Rachel with a boy like that made him want to burn his brain for even thinking of the possibility. Rachel was a lovely girl and Neil didn't always treat her like he should. Not like Allen would if she was his.

"The baby cow, Luna, was a wild one! She ran around the barn and ended up making me and Neil chase her. Good thing the doors to the barn were closed or she would've gotten away!" He was cutting her hair slowly, trying to follow her story without accidently chopping off her ear. That would make her clothes even more messy, even more her skin.

"So then how did you become such a mess?" The hair he had just cut of fell to the ground.

"I tripped over my boot's laces." Allen chuckled at that. He never knew she was so clumsy. "I caused Neil to fall on top of me which was even more embarrassing." He stopped laughing once she said that. What could've happened after that? Would he do what most boys would do in the situation and kiss the pretty girl or be a gentleman and do the opposite? It bugged him either way.

"Allen, why are you so silent all of a sudden?" The stylist snapped out of his thoughts. She looked at him in the mirror. "Do you not like Neil?"

"No, I do. It's just…" He cut at her hair, thinking of something to say. Not wanting to admit it. "So how's that new dog you bought from Rod doing?"

"You're avoiding the subject, Allen." She didn't need his confirmation to know that he was jealous. She could see it perfectly clear in his blue eyes. It didn't seem like it was in a romantic way so she assumed it to be in a friendship way. It seemed to make the most sense to her.

"What subject? All I'm asking about is your dog. What was its name… Chrom?" Rachel sighed, it was useless.

"Chrom is doing great." Getting the answer out of him was a lost cause.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for a shorter chapter than the others. I had no ideas, which was why it took so long. I didn't really want to start the romance until at least chapter 7 or 8 but since I had no ideas and my dearest friend suggested a little jealousy involving Neil I thought why not. I kind of ran out of ideas writing this one though. It is 3 AM and I'm sick. So that's my excuse. She also suggested something else so that may be the next chapter so it may not take as long.**

_**Feel free to leave suggestions for stories for either Rachel or Allen to tell! You may see your name in the next chapter or future ones!**_


	6. Cousin Phillip

Chapter 6: Cousin Phillip

Suggested by Purilliana (from DeviantArt)

* * *

Being praised by him was rare. And when he did praise her, she felt like she really did something good. Because getting praise for everything you do loses its magic after a while to the point you feel nothing. She never knew how much he silently praised her behind her back or how much he actually cared.

* * *

There was a ginger-headed boy she had never seen before sitting in the red leather chair. The bell over the door signaled her presence. When Allen and the boy turned their heads she felt their blue eyes gaze at her for just a moment before Allen greeted her.

"Hello, Rachel, I'll be with you after I finish with him." He gestured towards the strange boy. She could tell that the boy was way overdue for a haircut. The boy smiled at her and spoke.

"Ah, so you're the famous and lovely Rachel I've been hearing so much about. My cousin speaks very highly of you." Allen gave the boy a glare and smacked him on the back of the head. Rachel raised one of her brows.

"Who's your cousin?" She had never thought that someone would talk about her, let alone mention her more than once. The boy opening his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Allen's hand covering his mouth.

"Rod is his cousin." Allen said. She thought about it for a moment before nodding. It seemed believable. She chose to ignore Allen covering the boy's mouth, no matter how suspicious it seemed.

"Well," She spoke to the boy. "Your cousin praises people like no tomorrow." Rachel giggled at the thought of Rod complementing every special feature about someone.

"Oh how little you know about my cousin and praising people." The boy mumbled.

"What did you say?" Rachel asked and the boy earned another slap on the back of the head, courtesy of Allen. The red-headed man whispered in his ear.

"Say anything more and I will cut that ear off." His words made the boy shiver. Allen was giving him the most deadly glare through the mirror. In this case looks could most definitely kill.

"I said my name is Phillip!" The ginger-headed boy said with a nervous smile. He made sure to watch Allen and his scissors.

"Alright Phillip, you're done." Allen said, pulling off the cloth that was attached around Phillip's neck. Phillip got up and let Rachel take his place so Allen could begin on her hair. The ginger-headed boy didn't leave. He took a seat on the couch in the little lounge area and watched Allen work his magic on Rachel's hair. Allen didn't really like the boy's presence. "Phillip, you can go now."

"Nah, I'd like to watch you work a little while longer before I head back to Bluebell." Rachel picked up on where Phillip lived. She had received countless of letters in the mail from that town. They were quite pointless letters. They talked about a girl by the name of Eileen and how she would help construct new buildings. Why would she need her when she already had herself for the job already?

"What's Bluebell like? I heard it's full of animals and beautiful flowers." The blonde spoke up, catching the attention of both Phillip and Allen.

"That pretty much sums it up." Phillip smiled. "The animals and flowers come from my two best friends Ash and Cam." Allen felt somewhat left out as the two talked. But at least it gave him time to focus.

"I love flowers; next time you visit can you bring me some?" The stylist was shocked to know that Rachel liked flowers. She just seemed like a tomboy who hated anything girly. "My birthday is coming up soon and I'll pay back whatever amount of money that I receive from my relatives." Her birthday was coming up soon. He made sure to make a note of that. Phillip nodded and Rachel grinned.

After Rachel paid and left, Allen made sure she was completely out of earshot before turning to Phillip. Phillip was about to pull out his wallet to pay for his haircut when he stopped him. Instead Allen gave him money. Phillip gave a questioning look.

"Buy those flowers and bring them back to me."

* * *

**A/N:** **I don't know how I feel about this chapter. I have mixed feelings for it.  
**

**Edit: I don't know why my answers to the reviews didn't pop up when I first posted this. **

_**Reviewers:**_**  
**

Book Light- Haha I named my animals after some of my friends on DeviantArt. It made me feel closer to them. We'd have something in common if you were sadistic. I swear it's all the horror games I play. The romance should be kicking in soon so I hope you'll enjoy it!

Teamouse- I appreciate your review. I was worried when I saw how little reviews I was getting. I mean I'm not here for the reviews but I have the tendency to always think the worst, like: maybe people think this is boring? It's been bothering me for a long time. I'm extremely shy as well. Which makes me admire people like Allen with their confidence. You'll probably see your suggestion in either the next chapter or the one after that. People on DeviantArt are somewhat demanding for a long one since someone gave me a suggestion that could prove to be at least 1,000-1,500 words. And don't you worry, I refuse to let this story die. Allen is my favorite character simply because he was a character that had felt like a breath of fresh air. I want to support his fan base till the very end.


	7. Flutter

Chapter 7: Flutter

Suggested by Xx-Angel-Sherubii-xX (from DeviantArt)  


* * *

Rachel would never forget how sweet and kind he really was deep down inside. He was just a boy who loved his mother and would change his whole being if it would make her feel like his father was still there. She learned more about him all in one night, about how he became who he was.

Little did she know that staying with him that night would change her life.

* * *

It was a rainy day. The loud crackling of thunder sometimes gave Allen a bit of shock. Today just felt…. Wrong. So many words could describe it and none were happy.

He flipped through his schedule and scanned the pages. His eyes landed on Fall 6th where his only appointment today was with Rachel Harper for 3 PM. From the schedule he looked to the clock. It read exactly 5:45 PM. She was terribly late. He stared out the window and tried to pick out a speck of yellow anywhere. The closest he got to it was the Moondrop flowers that were growing around the town.

He sighed and began to clean up shop. It was biting at him. Something was indeed wrong.

After cleaning up downstairs, he headed to his room. He opened up the dresser and pulled out some clothes to change into. Placing his glasses on the nightstand, he put on his contacts. Then he walked over and stopped at the refrigerator. Opening it, he was met with a chill of cold air. He was about to grab a soda when his eyes lay upon some beautifully wrapped flowers that contained a variety of colors. The day before Phillip had stopped by to drop off the flowers Allen ordered him to get, the flowers she wanted so badly. Phillip left soon after, Allen was glad since he was still a bit unhappy with what happened last time. He did forgive him slightly since he helped unintentionally find a birthday present for Rachel.

Looking at the flowers made him feel odd. They reminded him how Rachel didn't make her appointment today.

'She probably just forgot.' That's what he wanted to tell himself. He knew it was wrong. Allen knew for a fact that Rachel kept a calendar near her kitchen and he could clearly remember the large amounts of red marker scribbles he saw on it the day he was introduced to her in her home. He even remembers her asking him when his birthday was that exact same day so she could write it down. If she writes everything down on that red ink-soaked thing, he was pretty sure that she wrote down her appointments with him.

Pulling out the soda and closing the fridge, he scanned his own calendar. 'Fall 7th: Rachel's birthday.' He eyed his handwriting. Today was Fall 6th. That meant tomorrow her birthday would arrive.

He turned away, the fact that she missed their appointment did not settle right with him. He tried to relax for the rest of the night. Using his laptop he sent a few emails to his little sister who had been pestering him about Rachel after hearing word from Phillip. He avoided the subject, of course.

He pondered what he would do tomorrow after giving Rachel her gift. Tomorrow was his day off. Never did he have really anything to do but hang around Clement's restaurant or go sight-seeing around the area. Sometimes he'd even visit Rachel's farm and pick on her as she worked. Getting snug in bed he decided he would think more of it tomorrow.

The next morning, he prepared himself to go to Rachel's. He decided to leave the flowers at home and give them to her later. Walking out the door, he was greeted with a nice fall breeze. It was still a bit wet from yesterday. Speaking of yesterday, the feeling still lingered. It was the feeling of something wrong. Allen did his best to ignore it. He made his way onto Echo Farm and was greeted by one of Rachel's dogs that he doesn't seem to recall. It was one of the larger dogs that Rod sold at his store. He assumed the dog to be the one Rachel called Chrom. Lowering himself, without getting any dirt onto his pants, he pet Chrom on his head. The dog barked happily at the stylist. Allen smiled, he loved dogs. A speck of blonde hair caught his attention over by the barn. Chrom followed him over to the barn. Allen opened his mouth to speak but froze when he realized it wasn't Rachel.

"Neil, what are you doing here?" The tsundere boy was gathering barn dirt with a pitchfork. Neil turned his head to reveal to Allen an annoyed look.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He said before going back to working. "I'm doing what needs to be done. These animals have been unattended to today." Allen rolled his eyes.

"It's Rachel's job, she should be doing it, not you." Allen leaned against the barn and pushed the rims of his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Taking a peek into the barn he noticed that one of the cows didn't look too well. He then put his attention back on Neil.

'So ungrateful…' He thought. 'If not for her, you would be without a job.' The moment he thought that, he realized he would be in the same situation. Both he and everyone in town would not be here if it weren't for her. Many praised and loved Rachel for all that she had done for them, except him and Neil. He would make note to show more appreciation when time called for it.

"Well it seems like she's not doing her job today. Maybe she thinks just because it's her birthday that she can just have a day off." Allen knew how passionate Neil was about animals. In fact, he never heard the end of it from his energetic best friend.

"She would never do that." Allen said. Neil slowed his movements. "Ever since day one, her animals came first before anything else." Putting the pitchfork back where it belonged in the barn, Neil crossed his arms and looked at Allen.

"You've got a point." Neil walked into the barn, Allen followed. Grabbing the Animal Logbook that was placed on top of the wooden box, Neil checked the animals. Allen watched, he wasn't really interested in the animals. They had checked every animal except one. It was the cow Allen noticed earlier.

"You notice it, don't you?" Neil asked. He could tell by the way Allen stared at the cow. "Something is making her upset."

"But what is it exactly?" They took notice of how the cow refused to eat the fodder that was in her trough. Neil lowered to the cow's height and gently brushed the cow in an attempt to put her at ease. "I'm pretty sure we aren't the ones making her feel this way."

"If she keeps acting like this she'll end up being sick." Neil's mood dropped as he said that. He hated thinking about the death of animals. Allen eyed the logbook Neil was holding, having a guess as to what was going on.

"May I see that for a second?" He gestured towards the logbook and the animal dealer handed it to him. Scanning the names he found two of them that he recalled. "This is Masqurade." Once he said that, Neil's eyes widened.

"Oh goddess, where's Luna?!" He had nearly forgotten that Masqurade had recently had a baby. It was a wild baby calf that caused an embarrassing incident between him and Rachel. Allen and Neil searched around the barn, then the chicken coop, and then the rest of the farm. Neil banged his fist against the door while Allen took a peak into the windows. "Open up!" Neil shouted.

"She's not in there. All the lights are off and she's clearly not sleeping, if she was she would've heard your loud screaming." The stylist wished he had earplugs at the moment to prevent himself from becoming deaf from Neil's shouts. Stopping his attempts to get in, Neil backed away from the door and looked at Allen, eyes questioning him as of what to do next. "Well at least now we know why we haven't seen her."

"If she's missing it most definitely involves Luna."

"Hmm…" Allen pondered. He knew she couldn't have gone far. Without a doubt she was missing because of the baby cow and that calf can't get far as young as it is. "Neil, get Rod and search near the mines." Neil nodded.

"What will you do?" Allen smirked.

"I'm going to work my magic with dogs." The blonde male hesitated a second before heading off to fetch Rod. Allen whistled for the black-haired dog. Chrom came running at a fast pace and nearly tackled Allen. "Hey boy, want to be a knight in shining armor like myself and save a princess?" The dog barked in response. "I knew you would, now can you help me find your clumsy, but lovely owner?" With one last bark the dog sniffed out his master's scent and Allen followed in suit. By the time they were on the bridge in the river area they finally found her. Chrom barked in the direction where different color tree stumps were rooted to the ground. The stylist looked and his breath escaped him.

"Rachel!" He shouted making his way towards the area where two Harvest Sprites were said to be spotted. Rachel had half her body in the river and the rest keeping herself from being washed away, she was knocked out cold. She had seemed to have lost her cow-pattern cowgirl hat. Her clothes were also ripped in some places. Overall she was a mess. Chrom ran over and licked one of her hands. The red-headed man completely pulled Rachel out from the river. Allen got down on his knees, never before had he been in this situation. Inside he was panicking but it barely showed on the outside. The dog whimpered when she refused to open her eyes. He did what he normally saw on TV dramas and felt for a pulse, he relaxed when he felt hers. She was still alive at least, that was something to be thankful for.

He gathered Rachel into his arms and rushed to get help, the dog following him.

Rachel awoke to see herself not in her own room. She was confused as to why she wasn't in her own house. Thinking as to why she was in somebody else's house was not an easy task when she could barely remember anything. She licked her lips.

"Thirsty…" She mumbled. Slipping out from under the royal blue covers she walked over to the fridge and opened it. As soon as she opened it she noticed some beautiful flowers. She brought them out and examined them up close. They had the most vibrant colors she had ever seen in a bouquet; she loved it so much she wished it was hers.

"I see Sleeping Beauty is finally awake." She was startled by a familiar voice. It was Allen and he looked quite restless. She now knew why she hadn't recognized where she was; it was because she had never been in the upstairs part of the salon after it was furnished. Allen noticed her holding the bouquet. "That was for you, you know." Rachel blushed.

"For me?"

"Yes, for your birthday. But since you were missing the entire day yesterday, I can't give it to you anymore since it isn't your birthday." Allen teased. Rachel pouted. "Don't worry, I'm kidding." He received a pair of sapphire eyes giving him a glare. "Um, I think I deserve a thank you. If not, all Phillip's hard work will have gone to waste to get this here in time." Her expression softened, she remembered when she asked Phillip for him to bring her a bouquet of flowers from Bluebell.

"Thank you, Allen." She smiled softly.

"No problem," Allen then guided her back to his bed. "You should rest more, Dr. Klaus said you shouldn't be up and moving until tomorrow." Rachel thought about how tired the stylist appeared to be. She knew why, too. He was being a gentleman. He was sleeping on the couch downstairs, leaving the bed for herself. She felt guilty thinking about it.

"No Allen, you need sleep more than me." She stared deep into his blue eyes; she gave him a worried look. It seemed as if Allen could pass out any second.

"I'm wide awake, I do all-nighters every once in a while. This doesn't bother me." Rachel crossed her arms.

"Bull crap!" Allen was slightly taken aback. She took a deep breath, a pink hue spreading across her cheeks for what she's about to say. "Look Allen, I don't mind sharing the bed if it's what it takes to get you to sleep." Allen opened his mouth to refuse her offer, but she interrupted him. "If you say no, I refuse to rest." Allen groaned, his fingers pressing against his temple.

"Fine,"

Rachel hopped in bed and faced the wall as Allen changed into some comfortable clothes. She knew he was done when she felt movement come from the opposite side of the bed. She heard a sigh come from him.

"Allen, is Luna okay?" She recalled the calf escaping during the thunderstorm, the reason why she's stuck with Allen in the same bed. He remained silent; he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to lie to her or want to tell her the truth when he already knew both would hurt her. "Is Luna alright?" She asked him again, he could hear a bit of worry in her voice.

"She wasn't anywhere to be found when I got there." He took the difficult path and told her the truth. A second later he heard a few sniffles come from behind him. He turned onto his side where he saw her back facing him.

"I found her by the waterfall in the mountain area." Her voice cracked as she spoke. All Allen felt like he was permitted to do was to listen as she spilled out what was on her mind; he wasn't good at things like this, times like this reminded him of the times when he lived with his younger sister and mother, not to forget his absent father. It reminded him of the times he failed to protect his little sister, she would sob into his pillow while hopelessly watched, mentally beating him up for letting this happen to her. "Luna was dangerously close to the edge of the river. I startled her when I tried to get her away from there and in the end it back fired. She wailed as the harsh current from the waterfall pushed her away. I panicked and jumped into the water on instinct." She turned onto her other side to find Allen staring at her with a gaze she had never seen him give. He felt as if he was partly to blame for not keeping an eye out for the calf as he whisked Rachel to Dr. Klaus' home. The calf is probably dead just because he cared more about saving one of his favorite customers. But could you really blame him for all that she's done for him? "I thought…" She hiccupped as even more tears flowed down her cheeks. "I thought I had saved her…" She felt herself being pulled into an embrace and his hand cup her cheek causing her eyes shot wide open. He gave her one of his infamous smirks and said:

"Crying only makes you prettier, you know?" Rachel knew he was trying to cheer her up, and part of it worked. She smiled weakly at Allen.

"You're back to teasing me again, aren't you?" She didn't really expect Allen to give her an answer she wanted to hear, he never had this happen to him. His embrace made her feel warm and at ease.

"If that's what you'd like to believe it to be, so be it." He mumbled, releasing her from his arms. She felt a bit upset when she felt his warmth leave her. He was trying to overcome the depressing mood that lingered amongst them, mainly Rachel. He thought of anything that could possibly take her mind off the missing calf. Then an idea hit him.

"Are you still curious about my father?" Allen didn't necessarily like this topic. But if it would help Rachel then he would grin and bear it. The blonde gave him a questioning look as if to say: "Are you sure?" He nodded. He was unsure of where to begin. His father was very unique character; well that was how his mother described him.

"You've probably assumed my father was deceased. That's not the case. My father is a thief." Rachel couldn't hide how shocked she was. Her stylist was the son of a criminal, that's definitely not something someone should go advertising. "My father was always on the run and was barely there for us. He had a big influence on me, which is why not many like me."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I act the way I do because of him. I imitated him."

"Why? Don't you always say to be yourself instead of trying to look like someone you're not?" He nodded.

"This is exactly why." His eyes saddened. "I used to be a whole different person. I used to be quiet, shy. Nobody really noticed me besides Rod. At that time I never knew about what my father did at nightfall." This all seemed so unbelievable to Rachel, but she knew he never lied unless it was necessary. He also said it was not in his policy to lie to a woman, or in this case, his father's policy. "I didn't learn about what my father did for a living until I was eight years old. That's when I changed."

"My father would usually make it home pretty late every time he went out. But mother and I noticed that the time length of his nights out grew each time. Mom had become very lonely and at the time she was pregnant with Lillian. Mom missed dad dearly, she would cry herself to sleep when he failed to come back home that night. It got even worse when dad could barely stay more than a minute before he was on the run again. Each day we saw him less and less. My mom got by on letters he would send her when he had the chance." Rachel admired his mother's strength, raising two kids on her own… she couldn't even begin to imagine.

"I was about to go to sleep one night when my father came home. I was the only one awake and that was how he wanted it to be. He asked me to do a big favor for him."

"What was it?" Rachel asked.

"Make mother feel comfortable by creating a presence similar to his." The blonde was slightly confused. Allen noticed and defined what he meant. "He asked me to create a new personality similar to his. I was the only one who could pull it off; I am his only son after all."

"I gave up being quiet and shy, my old self made her feel lonely when father wasn't around. I sacrificed so much just to make mom feel comfortable in her own home. Friends hated how quickly I changed overnight and left me, but I didn't care." Everyone hated him just because he hated seeing his mother lonely. It made her sad thinking about it. "Rod was the only friend who stayed. He was the only one who understood without me even telling him."

"From the beginning, I said I would go back to being who I was before once Lillian was born and a bit more grown or if father ever returned. A few years after Lillian was born, I decided it was due time to change back to my old self. It was easier said than done. My new reputation kept a high expectation from me; I had received college applications interested in my passion and the character I played as. They weren't interested in the regular old me. But because of that, I learned to love this imitation of father." Rachel waited for him to continue, but he never did.

"That's it?" Allen nodded.

"That's it." Rachel was still a bit shocked about this whole two personality thing, but found it sweet that he would try to make his mother feel more at ease. She yawned, the alarm clock on the nightstand beside the bed revealed that it was almost midnight. When she looked back at Allen, his back was facing her. She sighed and closed her eyes. Sleep eventually had taken her.

The next morning, she felt her face being licked.

"Chrom… stop…" She turned over in an attempt to stop her cheek from being further licked. However it continued. She opened her eyes ready to tackle the dog, but instead nearly cried for joy when she saw Allen holding Luna. Standing next to him was Rod and Neil. "Luna!" Allen smiled and handed the calf to her. "Oh baby girl, I was so worried about you!" The cow nearly suffocated from her tight embrace. "Where in the world did you find her?" She asked the trio.

"We found her in the mine sleeping like a baby!" Rod grinned widely, and gave her a thumbs up. "She had a few scratches, but Neil was able to patch them up quickly before they got infected." Neil blushed a bit when he found himself and Rod being pulled into her embrace.

"Thank you so much! Words cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am!" Tears threatening to fall from her eyes, she felt so happy.

"Oh goddess, please don't cry." Neil mumbled, he said it in his usual annoyed tone. Rachel chuckled.

"Heh, sorry… I'm just so happy to have Luna safe."

When Rod and Neil left, Rachel and Allen were alone once again. Allen decided to be the gentleman he is and escorted her back home. They stopped at her doorstep, not before putting Luna back into the barn with her mother. Rachel felt her cheeks flush when Allen handed her the flowers.

"Thank you for all that you've done Allen. I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Well you could give the knight in shining armor a kiss." He said jokingly. Rachel leaned up as high as she could on her tip toes and kissed Allen's cheek. He refused to let the pink in his cheeks rise. "I was just kidding, you know." Rachel chuckled.

"Yeah, I know." Rachel felt her heart flutter slightly.

* * *

**A/N: Woot! Long chapter! Almost 4,000 words long. I don't know if I really like it though. As long as you guys like it though, I like it. This suggestion is sort of combined with a little idea I had about Allen not being who he appears to be.**

**I'm most likely going to change that part involving past Allen later on. I'm sick at the moment and I'm half awake. I don't like how it turned out and just seems... like it doesn't fit well. I'll just switch a few words later.**

**Guess what my friend Purilliana (she's my Neil-chan!) is doing. She's making her own version of this series but instead involving Neil x Rio. It's going to be called: "Trips to the Animal Sanctuary". I love her so much. **

**She was begging me earlier to let her have a sneak peek at this chapter since I was so proud of myself for actually making a long chapter for this series. She's my little inspiration. xD**

_****** Feel free to leave suggestions for stories for either Rachel or Allen to tell! You may see your name in the next chapter or future ones!**_


	8. Letters

Chapter 8: Letters

Suggestion by Teamouse (Fan Fiction)

* * *

Her sweet words meant so much to him, even if they were only a few. He didn't want his feelings to show. The relationship they had now was something he had never experienced before even with Rod. This was his special customer, and that's how it would remain, for now at least.

* * *

The bell over the door chimed to signal the presence of another customer. Rachel scanned the room and didn't find the red-headed man.

"Allen…?" She called out.

"Be there in a second!" From his immediate response she could tell he was upstairs. She made her way up and glanced into his kitchen where she found him sitting, hunched over the table. Allen was holding a set of papers in his hands, she was able to identify that it was a letter by the handwriting. It had ink smudges in various places, but besides that it was written neatly. Slowly she approached him. He placed the papers down and picked up a pen and a blank sheet of paper. It seemed as if he was deep in thought.

"Did you get a letter from one of your many fangirls?" Rachel asked jokingly. He looked up at her; she was now standing by his side. Placing the pen on the table alongside the papers, he turned in his seat to face her. He chuckled.

"No, not today," His hand gestured for her to take a seat in the chair across from him. Rachel hesitated before doing so. "So, what brings such a lovely lady to my home?" Allen threw the blonde one of his many irresistible smirks. She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I was looking for a way to kill time." He noticed her lingering gaze onto the envelopes that were placed aside. "I'm lucky you're not eating lunch like everyone else." He had forgotten it was already noon. The red-headed man felt quite famished now that he thought about it.

"Well then, since you're here…" The stylist rose from his seat, Rachel's eyes followed him as he made his way into the kitchen that was only feet away from where she sat. "Would you care to join me for lunch?"

* * *

Rachel found herself standing beside Allen, watching as he skillfully cut the herbs. He was just as precise with a knife as he was with a pair of scissors. Allen glanced at her and chuckled.

"It's impolite to stare." He said in a teasing tone, a smirk finding its way onto his lips. Rachel's cheeks flushed a bit and averted her gaze to the envelopes on the table that was placed next to a vase holding a bouquet of vibrant colors.

"You can read them." His voice brought her attention back to him. He held a stern expression.

"Huh?" He moved away from the cutting board and walked to the sink where he ran water onto the knife.

"If you're so curious about the letters then you can read them." He turned the faucet and the water instantly cut off. "I could actually use your input on a response." Allen walked back to the cutting board and pulled out a pot from one of the cabinets above him. She hesitated before making her way to the table and extracting what was inside one of the few white envelopes. Her eyes scanned over the contents from the envelope.

* * *

_Dear brother, _

_Phillip says you're enjoying you're life in Echo Town. If so, that's excellent news! Mother and I have been worried about you ever since you left especially mom. You two were always so close, it must've been painful for her to see you go. Do you think you could visit sometime soon? I think it would relieve mother a bit._

_Also Phillip mentioned something of you taking an interest in someone, is it true?! Allen you must let me meet her! She must be something special if she was able to catch your eye. _

* * *

The rest of the letter was left unread. Rachel was deep in thought.

'Allen likes someone?' Was it someone she knew? She couldn't wrap her finger around it. It sort of… pained her and she didn't know why. Allen faked a cough to bring her back to earth again.

"Lunch is served." She nodded and joined him at the table. The herb soup looked delicious. With her first spoonful, she took note of its creamy texture. It truly was delicious.

"How should I respond to my sister?" He asked her. Rachel thought for a moment before smiling.

"You should tell her you plan to visit soon. Your mother really seems to miss you." She recalled that night she spent with Allen when Luna ran off, he deeply cared for his mother from what she could tell. His mother was lucky to have such a loving son. Rachel waited a moment before asking, "So who is this girl you like?" Allen locked eyes with Rachel, as if trying to silently answer her question.

"Someone I've come to adore." He said plainly before taking a spoonful of the herb soup. 'Well no duh.' Rachel thought and rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Thanks for lunch, Allen." Her smile was warm as she waved goodbye to him at his doorstep. He watched her as she ran towards her farm for a few seconds before closing the door and cleaning up the dishes. He sighed as he took a seat at the table again, reopening the envelope and pulling out the blank sheet of paper. Staring at it for a moment, he pondered what to write. A smile let loose as he began to write.

_Her name is—_

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for not finishing this sooner. Fire Emblem DLC took over my life. **

_**Reviews:**_

_**Book Light-**_**I'm pleased to hear you loved the route I was going in with chapter 7. The idea for the back story has been in my head for the longest time now, I'm overjoyed to finally let it free. Allen complained himself to sleep on the couch. xD And yes, Skye is the father. **

**_If you have any suggestions for one of Rachel's tales, you may see your name in the next chapter or future ones! _**


	9. Date (Part 1)

Chapter 9: Date (Part 1)  


Suggestion by Purilliana (DeviantArt)

* * *

He couldn't correctly recall what finally pushed their relationship forward, what got him closer to what he desired to share with Rachel. He knew however that ever since they opened up to each other the night Luna ran away, she had been visiting him more frequently, and not just for her haircut appointments. It made him happy, probably the happiest he'd ever been. But that wasn't what got Rachel to think about the possibility of it being her that Allen liked. It was definitely she who held Allen's heart, but she was too dense to know that.

If he could think of anything that helped Rachel's brain to start turning its gears, he would say it was thanks to the helping hand of his meddling friends.

* * *

Allen felt frustrated. 'Why did I have to look out the window?' He couldn't avert his gaze from the view before him. Rachel was talking to Neil outside of his home. It had been awhile since he had felt a bit of jealousy, the time before also involved Neil. With flames sparking in his eyes, he watched as their lips moved, no sounds coming out of their mouths. He relied on his ability to read lips to figure out what they were saying to each other, but that didn't help much either. Their conversation only lasted for a few more minutes before Rachel began to walk back towards the direction of her farm, waving to Neil as she did so. The animal dealer only spun around on his heel and entered his house.

'How rude of you to not wave back to her,' Allen thought. He almost felt angry, but he was a very reserved man. Neil was lucky for that, if not he would be expecting a visit from the red-headed man in a matter of seconds. Suddenly he heard the bell from his counter ring. He ran a hand through his soft, red locks of hair and headed downstairs.

"Hey there, Allen!" A familiarly cheerful voice, at the bottom of the steps Rod stood with a wide grin. Allen walked past him and over to the broom. The bright grin of Rod's slightly lessened and leaned against the wall. He watched his friend for a moment before speaking up again. "Something wrong?" Rod asked innocently. The stylist swept the floor, cleaning up the hair that had hidden itself well under the metal that attached the chair to the floor. He never answered.

"Girl problems?" Allen froze. He wouldn't necessarily define it as that, but it was close enough. He continued to clean, regaining his composure. Rod chuckled, oh how he dreamt of this day where his best friend finally experienced love problems.

Allen didn't know what kind of black magic Rod used that made him confess to admitting what he was feeling, but it made him feel more at ease. Rod and he walked out to the river where they sat on the wooden log, staring out into the water.

"Why don't you ask her out to dinner?"

"What?" Allen squeezed his temples. "That's absurd… yet a good idea." The more he thought about it, the better the idea played out in his head. Yes that was it: he would ask her out to dinner, give her the time of her life, and her heart would belong to him. The sound of the last part sounded a bit odd to him, but he really did like her. "However she's too dense to get the gist of what the point of the said dinner would be." Taking off his glasses, he then rested his face into his left palm slightly frustrated.

"Well it wouldn't hurt to try." Rod said, placing a hand on Allen's shoulder. The weight from the other side of the log was gone, Allen didn't watch Rod leave. His eyes watched the flowing stream. He was planning inside his mind. The sound of crunching leaves came from behind him, but he didn't turn around. A feminine voice spoke.

"Hey, Allen." It was Rachel, he could tell without even looking at her. Secretly, he smiled at her perfect timing. She moved next to him and asked, "Do you mind if I sit here?" He nodded and she sat down, admiring the beautiful stream with him.

"Are you here to forage whatever you can find?" He asked, not looking at her.

"No, actually," Rachel smiled gently at him. "Rod told me I should come see you at the river." Allen felt his left eye twitch and he mentally wanted to slap himself. "He said you had something to ask me…?" He hesitated, planning out his words. Rod had forced this one and only chance into his face, he might as well take it. Despite how little time he had to prepare.

"Since I'm in a good mood at the moment," With his usual smirk he turned to her and asked, "would you do me the honor of going out to dinner with me?" He could recall that the last time they had eaten together was when she visited him on his day off. It wasn't anything special, but it was pleasant. He stood and began to walk away towards the town. "Are you coming, Rachel?" He looked back at her, a little bit worried that she was going to refuse his kind offer. She followed after him.

"Is it really okay?" Her cheeks were slightly flushed. The edges of Allen's lips went up slightly but went back to as they were before she could see.

"Let me tell you what's not okay." Her eyes hinted curiosity. "It's not okay to decline a handsome man's invitation."

Allen and Rachel arrived at Clement's Restaurant. They took a seat at one of the empty tables. After a while, Felicity came over and took their orders.

"So what will you be having, Allen?" She asked in a gentle, kind voice. It showed how much she loved working at the restaurant.

"I'll have the usual, Genovese Pasta." He replied and handed her his menu. Felicity wrote down his order before turning to Rachel. Allen's eyes widened when he saw the table in front of them. He couldn't believe his eyes; he hoped that his glasses were deceiving him. At the other table was an awfully familiar couple, a young male with spiky golden hair and goggles as well as a young female with shoulder-length brown hair.

'Oh Goddess, kill me now.'

* * *

**A/N: I guess this isn't really a 'trip to the salon', but it will in the next part. Oh wow, I got a lot of reviews last chapter! Ah, I'm so happy! *frolics around* This is only the first part of a crazy version of the black heart event! I hope you guys liked it. I feel like it was kind of 'meh...' at the end, but that's for you guys to decide. I don't know if I'll do something for the purple heart event... Maybe. WE'RE GETTING CLOSE GUYS. TO THE BEST PART! (dating!)  
**

**The reason why this chapter took a while was because I've been stumbling with it and had to have someone look at it. (aka Purilliana) So, sorry about that!**

* * *

_**Reviewers: **_

_**Pseudopsychotic Pickles- **_You flatter me... *blushes* Haha, I feel for Allen! He tries so hard to give her hints, but Rachel just sees them as nothing! Some of these chapters wouldn't have been born if I'd never received the wonderful suggestions I get! My thanks go to them. :) I hope I can continue to write good chapters for you!

_**Book Light- **_Omg. You're right. That is quite hot. xD Thank you for that "pleasant" image.

_**Anonymousgirl88- **_I like that idea! I'll definitely be using that. I don't know if I'll use it before or after they start going out, but I'll find out a place for that suggestion soon enough! Thank you! *hugs*_**  
**_

_**LegendarypkmnNyunyu- **_Hello! I'm pleased to know you love this story and enjoy my view on Allen's personality. We're quite alike then! You're words make me feel encouraged, thank you. :) I hope to see you review for my story again!

_**Teamouse-** _I should put warnings for this story: 'WARNING: this story will cause you to go to hospital because this story will suffocate you with it's fluff!' xD No, thank you for giving me a suggestion! :D

_**mikudreamer-** _Let me just say, there's no choosing, it's Allen every time. xD Haha. But, it's really up to you. I personally think Allen has the best character especially when his words manage to actually stir my heart by how sweet they are. Fire Emblem Awakening is amazing. I have a huge crush on both Prince Marth and Chrom. Hehe.

**~Remember to leave suggestions!**


	10. Date (Part 2)

Chapter 10: Date (Part 2)

Suggested by: Purilliana (DeviantArt)

* * *

'Why on earth is Rod and Lillian here?!' Their faces were hidden behind their menus, but the tops of their heads were still visible. It was easy to recognize them just by looking at their hair; it was something he picked up as a stylist.

"Your orders will be out in just bit," Felicity smiled at the two and left to hand Clement their orders. Rachel noticed Allen's gaze that went past her and turned her head to look, but Allen hastily spoke up to stop her.

"Hey Rachel, can I ask you something?" He said on instinct. Rachel immediately turned back to him; Allen quickly tried to think up of what to say. He tried to pick something that would get her talking for a bit. "How's Luna?"

"Huh…" Allen took note of the surprised look that Rachel had shown him before it melted away back into her regular smile. "Oh Luna's completely healthy. Thanks to Neil her scratches have disappeared."

"Why did you seem so surprised when I asked about Luna?" With his elbow propped up on the table top, his chin rested in the palm of his hand as he kept his gaze on Rachel steady. She hesitated before answering.

"Well…" She started but was cut off when she heard a chuckle come from the handsome man that sat in the seat across from her.

"Let me guess, it's because I'm a stylist that I wouldn't care about a farmer's animal?" When her eyes casted downward it told him that he was right. He knew that Rachel would react normally to this question if it was asked by either Neil or Rod. While she looked down, he took a moment to observe the table across from him. For only a split second he locked eyes with his little sister before she immediately turned away, hiding her face from him. 'Lillian probably thinks that I haven't noticed her yet,' Allen thinks.

"Don't think that just because of my job means that I don't care about the animal that my client nearly risked their life to protect." He adds, putting his gaze back onto her. By the way the edges of her lips curled up slightly, he could tell that she was happy with his statement.

"Thank you, Allen." Allen mentally patted himself on the back for managing to make Rachel completely forget about looking at the table behind her. After another minute or two, Felicity came over with two plates in her hands. She placed a bowl of Genovese Pasta in front of Allen and then placed a plate of Curry Rice in front of Rachel.

"I hope you enjoy your meal! I'll be back with a refill for your tea." The waitress gave a cheerful smile before heading back to the counter where Clement was working his magic.

The duo remained silent as they ate. Allen secretly took glances at the table across from him when Rachel wasn't paying attention. He continued doing so until out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a white cloth being placed onto the table and came back in contact with Rachel standing from her seat.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back." She says before walking towards the bathroom in the back. Allen was about to go back to eating when he saw his little sister also get up and head to same destination. Immediately he panicked on the inside. He was tempted to get up and follow her but even if he did his sister had already disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Taking his attention from the bathroom door was the sound of a chair's legs creaking as it slid across the floor. When he turned his head he sighed in an irritated manner.

"Could you please tell me why you're here, Rod?"

* * *

Rachel washed her hands in the sink. She didn't pay mind to the woman who turned the knob of the sink next to her.

"Are you Rachel?" A soft voice came from the petite woman beside of her. Rachel's eyes widened, she did not know how the woman knew her name.

" Yes…" She replied hesitantly. Turning off the water she than dried off her hands with a towel.

"It's nice to finally meet you!" Rachel nearly jumped when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders. She was being hugged by the petite woman at her side. "Hearing so much about you from Allen's letters got me too excited that I couldn't wait any longer for him to formally introduce us. I just had to take action myself!" The girl's voice was full of merry as she kept a tight hold around Rachel's shoulders.

"Wait, you know Allen?" Rachel asked bewildered. The girl's arms unwrapped themselves from around the blonde's shoulders. The brunette flashed Rachel a wide and bright smile before clearing her obvious confusion.

"I'm Allen's little sister, Lillian!" Rachel's eyes widened and Lillian giggled at her reaction. "You're just as dense as Allen said you were in his letters."

"What do you mean I'm dense?" She asked, she felt somewhat offended by Lillian's words.

"Well first of all," Lillian stated with one finger pointed up. "You probably don't believe that you're actually on a date with my brother."

"This isn't a date…!" Rachel retorted, a light pink hue beginning to appear on her cheeks. "Allen and I are just having lunch together." Lillian rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Yeah… right…" A small smirk was forming on Lillian's lips. Rachel guessed that the smirk both Lillian and Allen have ran in the family. "Second, you're oblivious of the fact my brother is crazy in love with you!" Lillian's words made Rachel's body freeze up. She tried to open her mouth to say something but she couldn't put any words together.

"What…?" That was all the farmer could muster.

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Allen had his hands covering his face, it was easy to tell that he was frustrated with the situation at hand which made Rod sink into his seat. "Lillian devised a plan for you to get me and Rachel to have a date here at this restaurant just so she could meet her." When he removed his hands from cradling his face, he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she made me come pick her up late last night. She was already halfway here so I couldn't just say no." Rod scratched the back of his head.

"I knew that idea of yours was too good to be true." The red-head groaned.

"Hey! That's mean of you say, Allen." Rod said jokingly and lightly punched Allen's arm which caused a slight smirk from him.

"I'm ready to go, Rod." A voice spoke up which made the two males turn to find Lillian. She had a satisfied smile as she stood by them. Rod stood from his seat and got ready to leave with Lillian.

"Lillian, what did you say to Rachel?" Allen asked sternly to his little sister, his eyes narrowing behind his black-framed glasses. But Lillian just kept her smile as she waved goodbye to her brother.

"Nothing!" The bell above the entrance to the restaurant rang and Rod and Lillian were out the door and gone from Allen's sight. Not for one moment did Allen believe that Lillian said nothing to Rachel. Minutes passed and Allen went back to eating what remained of his lunch.

"Sorry I took so long." His eyes immediately fell back on Rachel who took her seat again. She began eating and remained silent. Something was off about her.

* * *

The sun was already setting and the sky had turned a lovely shade of orange. Allen was escorting Rachel back home to her farm. Ever since she returned from the bathroom back in the restaurant she had been acting strangely and it bothered him. This only proved that what happened between her and Lillian was not 'nothing.' They stopped at the doorstep of her house. Rachel reached for the door knob but stopped suddenly and turned back to Allen.

"Allen, do you…" She began but her lips froze. Whatever she wanted to say, she had lost strength so say it.

"Yes?" He had hoped that his one-worded reply would encourage her to say what she was going to say. He believed that what she was going to say involved what happened behind the closed door of the bathroom in the restaurant. Whatever Lillian had said must have been what was causing her strange behavior. Her lips moved slightly and hesitated before tightly closing shut. Allen mentally cursed.

"Never mind, good night Allen." She disappeared behind the door, leaving Allen hanging on the doorstep.

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**A/N: I need to make a note to myself, every time I have to pull myself away from Otome games so my phone can charge I should use that time that I have to wait to finish writing chapters for this story. I'm so bad at updating because my obsessions get in the way. It's so bad that I'm updating only once a month. If this chapter was a bit iffy I apologize. I literally had barely anything down when I opened it up this morning and hastily wrote what I had planned. I haven't had sleep. I slept all day yesterday after coming home from church an didn't wake up till 10 PM and have been up since then and it's now almost 4 PM. So I was quite the jitter bug when I wrote this.  
**

**Guys my addiction to these games is so bad I'm behind on my beloved friend's story! *cough* Sorry Book Light! *cough* Feel free to punish me! *cough***

**I don't mean to get you guys excited or anything but... This also may be the last chapter they will be single. Just sayin'. But then again this is just a last minute change and I think I like it better than what I originally planned to do. **

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**Reviewers:**

**_Book Light-_** HERE'S THE NEXT PART. *throws it in your face* THERE'S YOUR MYSTERY.

_**Anonymousgirl88-**_ I love Allen to death. I liked Neil at first but the further I got into his dialogue the more I began to dislike him. His character to bugs me! It's probably because I don't necessarily like tsunderes like him. But I'm happy that there are people who love him like you do! Allen was way too sexy for the game to actually be considered K rated. xD

_**CAPJHMPAgirl-**_ Thank you! I shall continue to write this story till I see a fitting end for it. Let me just say, you are the first one to actually correctly guess that it was Rod and Lillian that were in the restaurant. I'm still shocked that everyone that reviews my story on DeviantArt thought that it was Tina. I even gave them a hint before the chapter was even out that the girl who would be appearing in the chapter was mentioned before in the story. Tina was never mentioned. So you deserve a medal. *gives you a golden star sticker*

**~Remember to leave suggestions!**


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